News from Squire's Isle

In 2010, I won my first Goldie Award from the GCLS for my novel “Gemini.” That same year for the Academy of Bards Halloween Invitational, I created a series called “Underdogs.” I didn’t know where I was going with it. I half-expected it to be a one-shot story, just a fun and quick mystery about a werewolf private investigator. I ended up liking the characters so much that I wrote another story with them, and then another, and then… I stopped. The stories weren’t getting much in the way of feedback, so I figured people didn’t want to read them. So I moved on to other things.

About six months later, I dipped my toe back into the waters. The response was instantly enthusiastic. Not only did it spawn a whole series of short stories, but I quickly decided to branch it off into novels. In 2012, “Underdogs: The Novel” was released. It was a standalone story to introduce the world and the characters to people who might not have read the short stories, but also the start of a trilogy. I wanted to do what Pirates of the Caribbean did: the first movie could exist entirely by itself, but the second and third would tie all three together into a larger narrative. In the second book, Ari discovers more about her mother and one of the biggest threats facing the <i>canidae</i>. It all came to a head in the “finale,” which would complete the story and give everyone a sense of closure. That way, even if the series continued, I didn’t have to worry about building and building and building until we finally reach a climax in Book 12, which is so convoluted that only the hardcorest of fans will even bother reading it. A nice, tight three-book trilogy that left all the pieces in place for continued adventures.

Last night, I won my second Goldie for “Dogs of War.” Being the conclusion of the trilogy, I can’t help but feel the award is for the series as a whole. I’m so honored to get this award for a series that almost didn’t begin, and a pair of characters I’ve grown to love, and for a series I hope continues for many books to come (Book 4, “Red in Tooth and Claw” is already available!).

In the past few weeks, I’ve received one of the highest honors Kirkus reviews can give to a novel (a starred review on Trafalgar & Boone) and now one of the most prestigious awards in the LGBT world has a second place on my desk. I don’t know what the future holds, but right now I am a very grateful and honored man. Thank you to everyone who has read, reviewed, or suggested one of my books to a friend. It means so much to me that you’ve enjoyed my novels. I hope you enjoy what I release in the future!